Safety clasp



NOV. 28, 1939. N, B. wlNKLER y v v2,181,222

SAFETY cLAsP Filed March 6, v1939 wwf/ ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES aman SAFETY CLASP y Nathan B.Winkler, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigne to La France Jewelry Shop, New York,N. Y.,

a partnership Application March 6, 1939, Serial No. 259,985 s Claims.`(01.245230) This invention relates to safety clasps, of the type adaptedfor use with bracelets, wrist bands,`

necklaces and the like.

One' object of the invention is to provide a safety clasp havingimproved means which cause it to provide a double snap action for addedsafety, and which renders the clasp particularly easy to engage anddisengage, and which is neat and compact in appearance and inexpensiveto manufacture and assemble.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a-saiety clasphaving a casing element, a cover element therefor,and a snap elementresiliently openable for vpositive engagement in the casing uponlongitudinal insertion in one direction and being positively retainedagainst movement in any other direction while sov4 engaged, and thecover positively engaging at opposite ends of the casing to positivelyretain the snap element against withdrawal. andl being laterally engagedwith th-e casing to combine therewith so as to avoid any accidentalreleasing pressure on the snap element. l

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodiments, pointed outv in the subjoined claims, andillustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated bythe same referenceI characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing: v

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional viewshowing a safety clasp embodyingthe invention, with the cover in the open position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View but with the cover in partially closedposition. y 1

Fig. 3 is a sectional view with the cover closed.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the clasp.A

Fig. 5 'isa sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. y

The advantages of the invention as-here outlined are best realized whenkall of its features and instrumentalities 'are combined in one and thesame structure, but useful devices may be produced embodying less thanthe whole.

yIt will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the inventionappertains, that the same may be incorporated in several diiferentconstructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merelyas showing the preferred exempliication of the invention.

Referring in detail .to the drawing, Iii denotes a safety clasp forjewelry and other articles, embodying the invention.l Loss of valuablesfrequently occurs by reason of the accidental opening of a catch or snapelement.` To obviate this diculty, clasps have been provided with twovcatch elements, so that if one accidentally opened up, the other wouldremain closed. But those devices have been unduly complicated inconstruction, or have Ibeen diiiicultV for the ordinary person tomanipulate. ywhich is at once simple instructure and very The clasp lliprovides a device easy to open and close.v

Specically, the clasp IIJ comprises a casing II which may be in the formof an open ended chan- 15 nel member having parallel side flanges I2.Journaled in these flanges at one end of the cas.- ing is a pin or barI3 which may form part of a link I4 of a bracelet or the like. Forclosing the casing, a cover I5 may have at one end a knuckle I6lyingbetween the anges IZ and journaled on the bar I3. At its other end,the cover l5 may have a wall Il' having a bottom edge I il adapted forsnap engagement with the adjacent end or edge I9 of the bottom ofthecasing; If desired, 25

a projection at'20 may be engageable by a finger or nail thereof'forupwardly swinging and opening the cover. l f

Adjacent to one end Iof the cover. is a bar 2| rigidlyinterconnectingthe anges I2 near the 30 top edges thereof. This barforms an engag- .ing abutment for a Vcatch element 22 which may be inthe nature of a V-shaped strip spring comprising the arms 23, 24 adaptedto be sprung toward each other. .At its otherwise. free end, 35

the arm` 24 may havek an enlargement or knuckle 25 through which freelyextends a pin or bar 2t which may be part ofy a link 2l of a bracelet orthe like. It will benoted that theflanges I2 to afford clearance for theknuckle. Preferably the recesses at 28 receive the knuckle 25 to hold itdown against the bottom of the casing in the locked position of theyelement 22. The `corn- `may be cut away at their adjacent ends as at 234 panion arm 23 of the catch element may have an 45 abutment ordownwardly bent groove forming portion 29 for engaging the abutment 2l.At its free end the arm 23 may terminate in a nger piece 3D whose uppersurface Amay be knurled.

` It Will be noted that While the Wall il 0f the cover may wholly clearthe' knuckle 25 of the catch element 22 in the closed position shown inFig'. 3, yet the edge I8 `of the cover may engage the knuckle. 25 toprevent opening ofthe cover in theevent that the cover has become ac-.55

cidentally released from the casing snap edge I9, as suggested in Fig,2. Thus the dotted line 3l of Fig. 1 shows that in closing the cover,the edge 58 may wipingly engageand spring past the knuckle 25 for snapengagement with the edge I9. Thus the device may constitute a triplelock, there being a locking action at each of the parts 2i, 25 and I9. y

In use, with the cover I5 open, the snap element 22 is inserted into thecasing, with the'inclined wall 23 riding under the abutment 2i in camengagement therewith until the abutment snaps into the recessed Section39 to lock the snap element. This is a very simple motion that can beperformed by any one. Then the cover It is snapped shut as in Fig. 3,the click indicating that the cover is fully locked. For unlocking, thecover is engaged at 20 and forcibly opened, whereupon the finger piece30 is depressed and the catch element 22 removed.

On the closed position the cover I5 closes the channel shaped casing Ilat its top and ends, and any pull on the wall I1 that may be exerted bythe bracelet, as in case the catch element 22 is defective, is directlytaken up by the cover, which Will remain in locked position and will notbe caused to be opened by the stress thereon caused by the bracelet.

Iclaim:

1. A device including a safety clasp comprising a casing having a bottomand side Walls and being open at its top and ends, a generally V- shapedspring catch having arms adapted to be sprung toward each other, one ofthe arms having an abutment portion, the casing being adapted to receivesaid catch at an end opening and having an abutment at its top adaptedto engage the said abutment portion to lock the catch, said catch havingat one end a connector portion and a releasing linger portion, bothlocated at one end of the casing, and a cover for the casing movablyconnected to the other end thereof, said cover being movable to openposition to expose the catch for complete Withdrawal of the latter, saidcover being movable to closed position to overlie and enclose the catchagainst withdrawal, said cover having at its free end an end wall forengaging around the connector portion and for snap engagement with thebottom Wall of the casing to releasably lock the cover closed.

2. A safety clasp including a casing open at the top and at one endfacover pivoted on the casing at the other end, a generally V-shapedspring catch one arm of which is provided with an abutment portion andthe other arm of which lies along the bottom of the casing andtermihates at its free end in a connector portion, the casing havingnear its top an abutment engageable with the abutment portion to lockthe catch and releasable therefrom on pressing the arms toward eachother, said cover having a closure Wall for the open end of the casing,said wall having an engaging portion having successive yieldingengagement with the connector portion and with the adjacent bottom Wallof the casing upon closing the cover, whereby if the cover accidentallyreleases said bottom wall, it Will be prevented from opening byengagement with the v connector portion, the said cover portion havingcam engagement with the connector portion to Wipingly pass thereover.

3. A safety clasp including a casing member having a channel member openat the top and ends thereof, a cover having an end knuckle in the casingmember at one end of the latter and pivotally mounted on the flanges ofthe casing member, a generally V-shaped spring catch onearm of which isprovided with an abutment portion, the casing member having an abutmentengageable with the said abutment portion to releasably lock the catch,the lower arm of the catch lying along the bottom wall of the casingmember and having an end connector portion, said catch being insertableinto the casing member at its opposite end, the casing anges being cutaway at said end to accommodate the connector portion of the catch, thecasing member being adapted to overlie the catch and to close the cover,and having at its opposite end a wall for closing the adjacent end ofthe casing member beyond the connector' portion of the catch, said wallhaving releasable snap engagement with the casing member.

4A safety clasp including a casing having a channel member open at thetop and ends thereof, a cover having an end knuckle in the casing memberat one end of the latter and pivotally mounted on the flanges of thecasing member, a generally ll-shaped spring catch one arm of which isprovided with an abutment portion, 'the casing member having an abutmentengageable with the said abutment portion to releasably lock the catch,the lower arm of the catch lying along the bottom wall of the casingmember and having an end connector portion, said catch being insertableinto the casing member at its opposite end, the lower arm of vthe catchand the casing member having sliding interengagement to prevent thelower arm from being moved away from said bottom wall in the lockedposition of the catch, the cover having releasable snap engagement withthe `casing member.

5. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom wall and being openat the top and at an end thereof, said casing having an abutmenttherein, a removable resilient catch insertable into the casing at saidopen end and having an abutment for locking engagement with the firstnamed abutment on springing the catch, the latterhaving a releasing ngeraccessible at the top opening of the casing, said catch having aconnector portion lying outside of the casing, said connector portionhaving an opening, and an angular cover connected to the casing andmovable to close the top and end openings to Vprevent springing of thecatch at the top opening and removal of the catch at the end opening,one wall of said cover extending through the opening of said connectorportion and having resilient snap engagement with an adjacent free end 4of said bottom wall.

6. A safety clasp including a casing, a cover therefor, a removablecatch movable into the casing, the latter and the catch having means forreleasable snap interconnection, said means maintaining said catch infixed relation to the casing, the cover being movable to closed positionto prevent removal of the catch and being movable to open position topermit complete removal of the catchjthe position of the catch beingunaiected by movement of the cover, the casing and the catch havingindividual means for the connection of links thereto in the closedposition of the cover, the cover having releasable snap engagement withthe catch in a partially open position of the cover and having snapengagament with the casing in the fully closed position of the cover.

'7. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom wall and sideWalls and being open at the top and at an end thereof, a generally V-shaped spring catch having an abutment portion, the casing having anabutment strip member interconnecting said side Walls near said open endandextending transversely across the open top for locking With theabutment portion to prevent removal of the catch on inserting the latterinto the casing, the catch being wholly removable from the casing, thecatch having a connector portion at said open end of the casing, a coverfor the casing pivoted thereto at the other end of the casingandhaving-an end wall for closing the open end of the casing, saidconnector portion being closely adjacent to said end wall and beingadapted to bear thereon upon excessive pull on the catch, and said endwall being concaved toward the connector portion for thus engaging thelatter, whereby the cover prevents removal of the catch.

8. A safety clasp including a casing having a bottom Wall and sidewalls, a removable catch so that the bottom Wall of the casing projectsl at one end beyond'the side Walls to underlie the connector portion, acover for the catch pivotally mounted on the casing, said cover havingan end Wall, the connectorportion having' an opening through which theend Wallis movable int'o proximity to said bottom Wall, andl said endand bottom walls having means for releasable snap interconnection.v n

y NAII-IAN B. WINKLER.

